Room Without a View: Addition Blocks View of Ugly McMansion

By Delana

The proliferation of “McMansions” has been blamed for the downfall of plenty of otherwise-nice neighborhoods. One homeowner in Melbourne, Australia wants to make sure that a future McMansion doesn’t sully the view.

Bent Architecture built a two-story addition to the existing house. The addition adds a double-height living room and master bedroom suite, then extends into an outdoor pavilion.

Where it begins on the inside of the house, the L-shaped addition creates an atrium with one wall of glass. The bedroom juts out over the living area, and this extended volume continues outside in the form of a wooden overhang that forms a covered back porch.

The addition extends out into the back garden with an open-air wooden pavilion that is tilted to minimize the view of the proposed “monster” development nearby.

The slatted wood of the new pavilion allows natural light to filter through, minimizing the negative impact of the new overhanging structure for the homeowners.

Inside, the windows of the addition have been tilted away from the area the homeowners don’t wish to see. They may have to drive past the soon-to-be McMansion next door every day, but it certainly won’t be staring in at them as they relax at home.